The device herein disclosed is directed in general to a hand rake for use in gardening and landscaping activities and is directed in particular to an improvement in rakes having an extensive body component forming a pocket on the underside thereof for the collection of leaves and other debris, thereby adding to the capacity of the rake for picking up debris. The improvement herein comprising providing comparatively large rectangular perforations in said body component to permit, in addition to the raking function, soil bed perforation functions such as rock removal and surface levelling or contouring.
An example of prior art pertaining to a rake having a debris-collecting pocket is U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,830 issued to N. H. Sherman on Dec. 29, 1936. This prior art patent is of particular interest since not only does it disclose the extensive body component with a debris-collecting pocket on the underside, but, in addition, the body has numerous circular perforations therein. However, such perforations are for the express purpose of imparting diminished resistance of the body to flexure. The perforations disclosed are not rectangular and their size and location would not incidentally lend the rake to use for soil preparation functions of the present invention.
A further example of a prior art hand rake is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,014,250 issued to S. E. Norman on Jan. 9, 1912. This patent shows a solid shield back in FIG. 9 without perforations and, accordingly, enjoys the added debris collecting feature of the present invention but does not permit of the soil preparation functions thereof.